Beachfront plans hit a nerve

The West | Kim Macdonald

DEVELOPER CLAIMS STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR BOLD MULTISTOREY PROJECT.

The fight to transform Cottesloe beachfront – once described by the premier as a Roman ruin- has kicked off again with new plans for a high-rise apartment complex 100m from the water.

The $57 million, nine-storey apartment block on Marine Parade, between Beaches Café and the Cottesloe General Store, would include 16 apartments and a café if approved.

The bold project has stirred tensions between developers, the council and some locals who have vehemently fought multi-storey developments for decades.

Developer Gary Dempsey believes he has strong community support for the new project but has opted to bypass the usual planning route by going to the State Development Assessment Unit, which was set up in response to COVID-19 to help fast track approvals for projects worth more than $30m.

Mr Dempsey criticised Cottesloe council for being “negative in any development” and “notorious for doing very little”. He said while the alternative system, which reduces the council’s involvement, was more expensive and required extra documentation, it was a better system because it led to speedy determinations.

He believed only a vocal minority were opposed to coastal high rise, including local campaigner John Hammond.

“You can quote me as saying John Hammond is using scare mongering tactics” he said.

Mr Hammond yesterday said areas such as Cottesloe, Fremantle and other suburbs with a unique coastal heritage were “sacrosanct”

“WA beaches are the best in the world because they aren’t afflicted by overdevelopment like St Kilda, the Gold Coast and Bondi” he said.

“This will set the benchmark for towering concrete and glass structures on Marine Parade that will devastate the old-fashioned community suburb that was once a retreat for WA farmers and their families”

The proposed building will have mosaic tiled exterior, a car lift and a penthouse pool on its relatively narrow 18m wide block. There are separate plans for a $165m, 10-storey development at the Ocean Beach hotel site.

Cottesloe council was contacted for comment.